The Food and Drug administration will be allowing producers of walnuts to post a claim on their product that 1.5 oz of walnuts daily may help prevent heart disease. My first thought was, why walnuts? Of all the foods that have positive, beneficial effects on health and disease-prevention, why are walnuts among the first foods so labeled? It's not as though walnuts were front and center for the average American dinner table.

Then cynicism stepped in and asked, "OK, who produces walnuts and supports his local Republican party? Who knows somebody? Who has donated money?" In this political climate, it seems as though those who toe the party line and support the party's agenda are those who skip to the front of the queue.

Why not garlic? I'll bet a lot more people eat garlic than walnuts. Walnuts, for heaven's sake!